South Korea: Another Death at 2018 Winter Olympic Site

29 July 2016 12:49

On the morning of July 24, in Gangneung, South Korea an accident occurred at the construction site of the Ice Arene which is to serve as the venue for the Figure Staking and Short Track competitions for the upcoming 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. According to BWI affiliate in South Korea, the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Union, two construction workers working from a crane-mounted basket fell about 15 meters to the group in the Ice Arene construction site. The accident was caused when the boom of the cargo crane broke while the two workers were doing wiring work on the steel structures of the rink. “Earlier this year, the BWI expressed serious concerns regarding safety and health standards at the construction sites related to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics due to two deaths that occurred last year. This recent accident resulting in the tragic death of one worker and severely injuring another, is evident that strict safety and health measures are not in place,” stated Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of BWI. He continued, “We support the KFCITU’s call for an independent inspection surrounding the accident and immediately implement guidelines to prevent further accidents. Safety and health is the responsibility of all stakeholders including the International Olympic Committee (IOC). We once again call on the IOC to take a more proactive role in South Korea and invite them to conduct join safety inspections with BWI at all Olympic Games venue sites.